Coronavirus and Social Security Entitlement in the UK

The social and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted urgent
wide-ranging reforms to social security across the UK, most of which have been
implemented via secondary legislation. In a number of respects, the changes that
have been made have extended support, either by relaxing some of the stricter
elements of conditionality or by raising needs thresholds or allowance rates. With
the shutdown that has affected large parts of the economy, huge numbers of the
working age population have had to turn to the welfare state for support, swelling
the numbers of benefit claimants. Changes have also been made to the processes
for claiming and the arrangements for the determination of appeals. This article
examines the key changes that have been made and assesses their implications,
both immediate and over the longer term